Lib Dems Call for a new Secondary Education Policy

12.01.00am BST (GMT +0100) Thu 15th May 2008

Liberal Democrat County Councillors are calling for a new Secondary Education Policy for Northamptonshire to achieve a balanced mix of different types of schools to provide a proper choice of schools for parents.

Cllr. Brian Hoare

Speaking at the Annual Meeting of the Northamptonshire County Council the Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group, Councillor Brian Hoare said: "The Council needs to have a clear education policy framework for all areas of the County. This must take into account the growth of housing planned, and to give parents a choice of types of schools for their children. At the moment there is no published policy as to where new Academy Schools should be placed, where new Faith Schools should be sited, and all decisions seem to be made in a reactive rather than a planned way."

"What we do not want is a cluster of Academies in some parts of the county and not in others. A balanced mix of types of schools across the county would also go towards giving parents more of a real choice for their children."

Councillor Richard Church will be saying: "The policy should also take into account the fact that a number of secondary schools in the county are under performing and need restructuring, and whilst Academies are the current government's answer to falling standards, they are only part of the solution and not the complete answer."